Forced To Adopt Retired Military Dog ​​Orc Chapter 11

Chapter 11 The Dog’s Two Faces Woof Woof Woof Woof Woof…

As Si Jiu expected, from the apartment to the sanatorium, Ran Lie followed him everywhere he went.

But what he hadn’t anticipated was that no matter where Ran Lie went, he would instantly seize almost all the attention on the street, becoming an entity that others instinctively avoided.

On Beastman Planet, it was indeed possible to occasionally see Beastmen maintaining their full Beast Form Transformation walking through the streets—though the Empire didn’t encourage it, it hadn’t explicitly forbidden it.

Excluding a few extreme Beastman individuals who favored closeness to nature and preferred to be in Beast Form all year, Pure Beast Species who couldn’t achieve Human Form Transformation also had a certain space to survive, but it was a survival in the cracks, filled with cautious forbearance.

Ran Lie, however, was different.

Every step he took along the way carried a precisely measured force. His back was straight as a pine, and his pace was steady as a clock.

The big dog’s black-brown fur gleamed with a cold, metallic luster under the sunlight, every line taut with latent power. It felt completely different from the way ordinary Beastmen walked; it was the silent drill inherent to a Beastman soldier—the head always held up at fifteen degrees, the gaze subtly sweeping the 180-degree fan-shaped area ahead like radar, taking in every movement around him.

He stayed close to Si Jiu’s right side, maintaining a protective distance of half a body length. Without needing any words, the aura emanating from Ran Lie’s massive frame pushed away the surrounding bustle like a physical force—this was the alertness forged through countless real-combat situations, the combat discipline melted into his very bones.

Whether on the gradually bustling streets of Eldean Town in the morning or on the Beastman bus heading to the suburbs, regardless of the crowd size, Beastmen would involuntarily clear a path for him and Si Jiu. This wasn’t out of curiosity toward an anomaly, but out of sheer awe at the pure, unquestionable power of his presence.

This wasn’t walking; it was a mobile sentry post, a living weapon constantly ready for battle.

Ran Lie basically had the words “I am not to be messed with” plastered on his forehead. Consequently, even Si Jiu, who had been striving for a low profile, became the kind of person onlookers knew “would not end well if you crossed him.”

This made Si Jiu regret his earlier worries again. Given Ran Lie’s innate “keep-out, no-loitering” demeanor, instead of worrying about him being discriminated against in Beastman society after retirement, people should worry more about the psychological trauma inflicted on ordinary Beastman residents who dared not look at him as he passed by.

Upon arriving at the sanatorium, Ran Lie once again performed consistently, his tracking ability ensuring that wherever Si Jiu went, he could turn around and see him.

Don’t doubt it—no one in the entire sanatorium stopped him, mainly because no one dared.

Thus, when delivering medicine to the Brown Bear Beastman (Patient), the former combat starship pilot kept looking at Si Jiu, who brought the medicine, then suspiciously at the big dog beside him, throughout the entire process, with a highly complicated expression.

When he finally couldn’t hold back, he straightened up in his wheelchair, the fur on his round ears standing on end. He saluted Ran Lie and managed to utter one word: “Gen—”

“Woof, woof woof!” Ran Lie’s low, short barks immediately cut him off, silencing him.

Having learned from previous experiences, Si Jiu, who was vigilantly running the translation software, had set it to display voice-to-text. He only saw a brief message on his phone: “Later!”

The Brown Bear Beastman said nothing more, and his attitude toward Si Jiu subtly changed.

Gone was the disdain he previously showed due to his contempt for humans. Instead, he regarded Si Jiu with a strange look mixed with confusion, unresolved inquiry, treating him like a special species, akin to a rare exotic animal.

As soon as Si Jiu set the medicine down, the patient quickly raised the cup, drank it at lightning speed, and then solemnly, for the first time, said to Si Jiu, “Thank you, Caregiver Si.”

“Ah, you’re welcome.” That thank you, along with his gaze, made Si Jiu feel uneasy.

Outside the ward, the nurses in the corridor and the occasional military logistics patients wandering around all adopted an attitude of ignoring the big dog following Si Jiu.

The nurses were naturally afraid; after all, Ran Lie, a former VIP, was notorious in this sanatorium. Even Nurse Manager (Hamster), upon seeing him, could only lightly twitch her large ears, bow slightly, then shake her head and spread her hands to Si Jiu, indicating she was powerless to help.

The patients’ attitude toward Ran Lie was more one of silent reverence. Si Jiu, following Ran Lie, received quite a few military salutes along the way.

This further confirmed to Si Jiu that Ran Lie’s status in the Beastman military was not simple—he wasn’t stupid!

When lunchtime arrived, Si Jiu rubbed his slightly sore neck and was about to head toward the cafeteria with Ran Lie when he saw a familiar figure at the end of the corridor—Jun Qi, who had just returned from assisting at the hospital, was walking toward him. His heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one blue, shone brightly in the dimly lit hallway.

Jun Qi clearly saw him too, and his face immediately brightened with his usual cheerful smile, ready to walk together. But the smile instantly froze, flickered, and then quickly extinguished, like a flame hit by a cold wind.

His gaze passed over Si Jiu and fixed precisely on the unfamiliar Canine Beastman figure behind and to the side of him.

The big dog merely stood there silently, but the cold, unapproachable aura surrounding him made Jun Qi, a feline, shudder all over. His gold and blue eyes widened in disbelief, as if he had seen something utterly terrifying. He instinctively stamped his feet rapidly on the ground in hesitation, then looked at Si Jiu with a hint of pity.

Si Jiu saw him stop and raised his hand, the name “Jun Qi” still unsaid on his lips—

The usually warm and friendly Persian Cat Beastman let out a short, sharp “Meow!” from his throat. His fluffy, beautiful tail instantly puffed up and stood erect in an anxious reaction, like a startled feather duster. He spun around and practically fled in panic, his white premium nursing uniform and slightly curled hair tracing a hasty arc in the air.

Si Jiu’s hand was still awkwardly suspended in mid-air when his phone vibrated appropriately in his palm. The screen lit up with a text message from Jun Qi, the string of words seemingly trembling with terror:

“Meow! The dog behind you is staring at me, it’s so scary! Meow meow!!!”

The stacked “meows” and exclamation points at the end made Si Jiu almost visualize Jun Qi frantically poking the screen with his paws while running away. He felt that Jun Qi had nearly been scared into his original Beast Form, ready to scramble onto the rafters.

This was one of the few friends he had at the sanatorium.

Si Jiu sighed helplessly, immediately sending an apology and comforting words to Jun Qi, promising to treat him to dried fish snacks in the afternoon as compensation. Then he took a deep breath, turned around, and directed a calm gaze at the culprit.

Ran Lie still maintained his proud, head-held-high posture, only tilting his head slightly. The big dog’s deep black-gold eyes were now filled with pure innocence, even carrying a hint of subtle grievance, as if saying, “I didn’t do anything.”

But Si Jiu had endured enough during this half-day of cohabitation. Every time Si Jiu tried to approach other colleagues or patients, or when someone tried to approach him, even if it was just for work, Ran Lie always managed to “deter” them in ways that seemed unreasonable but which the other party had to accept. Even without growling, his intimidating effect was comparable to a large-scale psychic weapon.

His patience had finally run out.

Si Jiu frowned, his eyes reflecting the bright midday light outside the window, yet showing little warmth. He had made up his mind. He looked at Ran Lie and spoke in a steady, unquestionable tone: “Ran Lie, after lunch, we are going to the Director’s office.”

“Woof?” The big dog half-raised a paw, clearly not thinking he had done anything wrong.

After lunch, Ran Lie followed Si Jiu to the Director (Elephant)’s office. Si Jiu turned and closed the office door. The long-nosed Director, looking confused, exchanged glances with the big dog who had swaggered in, and both immediately felt a sense of impending doom.

Si Jiu stood sideways and spoke directly to the Director, still smiling slightly: “Excuse the interruption, but could I trouble you for a favor, Director?”

“Ah? Tell me—” The elephant’s trunk curled back, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He was clearly feeling guilty, his eyes darting between Si Jiu and Ran Lie.

Si Jiu knew perfectly well that the Director and Ran Lie were in cahoots. Without the Director’s tacit approval, how could the big dog roam the Military Logistics Sanatorium as if it were his own backyard?

And before, when the Director spoke of how miserable Ran Lie was, a lone dog after retirement, Jun Qi didn’t know the big dog’s true identity and offered advice to Si Jiu purely out of kindness. But the Director was different; others might not know, but the Director couldn’t possibly be ignorant!

Si Jiu looked at the Director, who shifted his gaze elsewhere.

“Director, could Mr. Ran stay and rest in your office during my working hours? Or you could open a separate VIP ward for him, but please ensure he doesn’t keep following me and disrupting my work.” Si Jiu finished, then turned to look at the big dog behind him, who was now wearing a look of defiance and absolute refusal.

He raised his hand and gently stroked the dog’s head, whispering, “Ran Lie, wait for me here. I will come pick you up after work so we can go home together. Otherwise—you won’t be going home.”

When Si Jiu spoke to Ran Lie like this, the Director (Elephant) nearly dropped his jaw. While feeling apprehensive, he looked at Si Jiu with several degrees more respect.

“Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof woof woof?!”

—”Si Jiu! Why? Because of that old hamster? Or that cat?!” The big dog was clearly displeased. The translation software immediately displayed the language conversion, the annoyance practically radiating through the screen.

“You can’t not take him home, Si Jiu.” Ran Lie’s barking was commonplace to Si Jiu, but the Director flinched in fear. He immediately stepped forward to try and placate his overly bold human caregiver. “Mr. Ran, he, he is actually…”

Ran Lie’s sharp gaze flashed, cutting like a knife. The Director immediately fell silent, unable to continue.